In connection with the work of the W3C TAG, I undertook the task of
documenting in-the-field practices as to how software can and should go
about the very common task of comparing URIs. The latest draft of this,
which I think represents TAG consensus, is at
http://www.textuality.com/tag/uri-comp-4.html.
The TAG (including two 2396 co-authors) thinks that one plausible way to
use this text would be to fold some or all it into RFC2396bis. So I'm
posting here to offer it for that purpose. -Tim